Social media influencers and online communities are having a bigger influence on shoppers, particularly the youngest, as much as or more so than brands.
A study by Oracle and Brent Leary, partner, CRM Essentials, that included more than 2,000 adults, ages 18 to 80 in the United States, found that 37% of consumers trust social media influencers over brands. Gen Zers and Millennials are two times more likely than Boomers to trust influencers. In a similar vein, 28% of consumers discover new products and brands through influencers. Gen Zers are the most likely to discover products and brands this way, at 32%, compared to just 13% of Boomers.
When it comes to marketing impact, only 13% of consumers today discover new products or brands via traditional TV advertising with Boomers seven times more likely than Gen Z to discover new products and brands via traditional television ads, the survey demonstrated. In the meantime, 84% of Gen Zers have purchased products in direct response to social media content versus 46% of Boomers.
In terms of social media channels that host the most influential influencers, YouTube is the most popular but generation effects preference. So, 21% of consumers follow influencers on YouTube, but Gen Z favors TikTok, which, in the study, came in at 25%, followed by YouTube, at 23%, and Instagram, at 22%. Boomers favor Facebook, at 23%, YouTube, at 15% and TikTok, at 5%.
When consumers have questions about products and services, they are increasingly turning to social media channels and online communities to get their questions answered.
In the study, 98% of consumers stated that they find customer service interactions frustrating and 15% would rather sit in traffic than engage with a brand’s customer service function. Only 18% of consumers want to call customer service when they have questions with 26% of Boomers willing to pick up the phone compared to just 14% of Gen Zers.
In submitting a service inquiry to a brand, 31% of consumers would prefer to comment on a brand’s social media page, while 24% would prefer to direct message a brand on social media. Gen Z is twice as likely to receive customer service in this way than Boomers.
Not on all occasions but overall, 93% of consumers turn to social media platforms such as YouTube and TikTok to get questions answered and get the most out of a product or service, with 95% of Gen Zers using online communities in this way versus 79% of Boomers.
Survey respondents said they trust YouTube and TikTok videos because they are created by other consumers, at 20%, easily searchable, at 19%, illustrative, at 16%, and abundant, at 14%.
